Folio 01
The NIE for buying a property in Marbella
Every foreign buyer needs a NIE before the deed is signed in Marbella: the notary identifies each foreign party by it, and the bank, the utility companies and the tax office use the same number. A buyer who does not live in Spain requests it on form EX-15, with the 790-012 fee, and receives a NIE certificate.
Enquire about this
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When to begin
As early as you can, ideally once you are looking in earnest. The number commits you to nothing and is assigned for life, whereas a missing NIE is one of the few things that can move a signing date. In the order of a Marbella purchase it comes before the bank account and the deed, and a buyer who is still abroad can file it at a Spanish consulate.
The EX-15 file
- Form EX-15, completed and signed
- Your passport, with a copy of the identity pages
- Something that shows why you need the number, such as the reservation, the private contract, or a note from your bank or notary
- The 790-012 fee, paid in advance
- An appointment at a police office, or at a Spanish consulate if you apply from home
Mortgages and joint purchases
Each buyer named on the deed needs a NIE of their own, including a spouse buying jointly. When the purchase is financed in Spain, the bank wants the number before it can open an account and make an offer, so the NIE often comes first in the whole sequence.
A buyer who cannot attend the signing can usually be represented at the notary under a power of attorney, which your lawyer prepares. The NIE is still needed in your own name.
In Marbella
Purchases in Marbella are signed before a notary in the town, and the deed names every foreign buyer by NIE. The request itself can be made at the Comisaría on Avenida Arias de Velasco: we prepare the EX-15 with your reservation papers and plan the appointment well ahead of the signing.
Policía Nacional · Marbella
Comisaría de Marbella
Avenida Arias de Velasco 25, 29600 Marbella (Málaga)
NIE certificates and assignment, EU registration (régimen comunitario), TIE issuance, return authorisations, letters of invitation, nationality reports.
- Telephone
- 952 867 241
policia.es gives 952 867 241 for its foreigners’ unit and 952 762 600 in the general police directory. It publishes no opening hours: the time on your cita previa confirmation is the one to follow.
Open in Maps (Comisaría de Marbella) Its entry on policia.es
Questions
Does the NIE make me a resident?
No. The EX-15 certificate states your number, not your residence. Owning property and living in Spain are separate matters.
Can I obtain the NIE without coming to Marbella?
Yes, through the Spanish consulate that covers your place of residence. Consulates keep their own calendars, so ask early.
We are buying as a couple: one NIE or two?
Two. Every person who appears on the deed or on the mortgage needs a number.